Thirty-five years after the Women’s Wrestling World Championships began, an Indian wrestler finally stood on the podium in the heavyweight category on Wednesday.

Eighteen-year-old Kajal Dhochak came within seconds of winning gold before losing 6-8 to double European champion Anastasiya Alpyeyeva of Ukraine in the final at the World Championships in Astana. But the Sonipat wrestler made history nonetheless, becoming the youngest Indian to win a medal at the Worlds. “I think if someone had said that India would win a heavyweight medal at the World Championships this year, people would have laughed. But today, our faith in this 18-year-old kid stands vindicated,” former national women’s team coach Kuldeep Malik told The Indian Express.

Kajal joined Kuldeep’s Sports Academy in Sonipat at the age of 14 and has honed her skills there over the past four years. Her age, the coach believes, leaves plenty of room for improvement. “The best part is that she is still a teenager.…